Spirit of Thanksgiving — and feast — comes early for homeless, helpers

A double-sided fireplace was blazing in the dining room of Bishop’s Family Dining buffet on Saturday afternoon, offering warmth from the chill outside and shining light on hungry and worn faces.

Billie Anderson, eight months pregnant and homeless, was leaning against the wall in line, ready to eat a Thanksgiving meal that buffet owner Luu Le has promised he will serve to the poor as long as he’s in business.

“She’s tellin’ me she’s hungry,” Anderson said of the baby. As the mother-to-be picked out Jell-O salad and jambalaya over rice from the buffet, she said she’d probably go someplace like the St. Anthony Family Shelter when it was time to have the baby. She said the Saturday meal at Bishop’s was practically the only Thanksgiving she would have.

The annual feast is organized by Shedra Moore and her Word of the Lord Church that meets every Sunday at Century II, and it’s served up by Le’s restaurant at 4200 W. Kellogg. It stands out from other meals because of the nature of Thanksgiving and the roots of the gift, the diners and the helpers said.

“This is probably more a spiritual thing,” Mike Espinosa, who has been homeless on and off for 35 years – currently on – said of the Thanksgiving meal. People love Moore and they love Le, he said. He remembers a biting cold winter in the 1990s when Moore was serving food at Naftzger Park at Douglas and St. Francis, and he showed up too late. But Moore told him not to worry: “I’ll take you to Popeye’s, and you can get whatever you want.” He’s been going to her church ever since.

“She saved a lot of lives,” Espinosa said. “This lady brought us a long way.”

Moore said that her congregation is mostly homeless, but the church reaches out to the larger homeless community and other poor people to invite them to the Thanksgiving feast, because Le “wants to feed a lot of people” — this year, about 250. That’s because he has a lot of thanks to give.

Le came to the United States from Vietnam with six older brothers and cousins in 1975 when he was 14, and a family took them all in. He can’t forget it.

“We didn’t know anybody. We were nervous, and we liked to stay together, and that’s not easy, take in seven strangers.

“I came literally empty-handed. I couldn’t have done this by myself. I have an American family that help us with the language and adjust to the new life. I couldn’t make it without help. For that I’m grateful. I’m just grateful in general, and I think that’s the spirit of Thanksgiving. … Can you imagine taking seven people into your house? That’s pretty incredible. That’s rare.”

On Saturday afternoon, Lynatte Hill sat down to a tray of sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Jell-O salad, pink fluff, pecan pie, coconut cream pie, creamed peas and two kinds of meat. She took a bite of beef. “It’s good,” she said.

The jolly Moore and her peppy volunteers made the rounds, carrying trays for those who had a hard time walking, serving drinks so diners didn’t have to juggle them on their food trays.

“Who needs drinks, drinks, drinks?” called out Anisa Moore, Shedra Moore’s daughter. “Kevin, you need a drink? We got tea — I think this is Pepsi – Mountain Dew.”

Those who want to attend the Thanksgiving feast at Bishop’s gather at Century II before the event for prayers of thanksgiving — “we always want to acknowledge the goodness of the Lord,” Moore says — and words of encouragement from her. This year her message was that, especially with all that’s going on in the world, “we have to learn how to be more kind to each other, as Jesus taught us to do.”

“The message was love,” Terry Douglas, eating with Espinosa, said.

There also are giveaways of Wal-Mart gift cards, and a contest to see who brings the most people, so there are lots of smiles and lots of fun before the participants board buses for Bishop’s, Moore said.

The number of those attending had been growing since Le started serving the meal five years ago; he figures there were 300 the first time, and 425 last year. Moore put the number closer to 250 this year, figuring that the chilly weather kept some people away.

But for those who came, there was much thanksgiving.

“They do a wonderful thing out here,” Michelle Anderson said. “I really enjoy it. They’re doing this out of the goodness of their heart. They don’t have to feed all these people.”

Le and his staff worked late Friday preparing the Thanksgiving meal, and then afterward had to get ready for the Sunday crowds, and then Thanksgiving Day. The restaurant is open every day of the year. Black Friday will give them all a break; it’s the slowest day for the buffet.

“I thank Mr. Le,” said Linda Jaynes, after waving to him across the buffet line.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Spirit of Thanksgiving — and feast — comes early for homeless, helpers."